/// What is a hairy octopus?

03 Dec / 2013

Thanks to one of our guests, Ashleigh Wiley, for the great pic of this cheeky one on a pack of cigarettes!

We have been seeing Hairy Octopus on a few sites recently, and are certainly seeing more at the moment that at any other time, so what is a hairy octopus?
It is actually an octopus but is only 2-5 cm long. Their whole body is covered in bits of skin to give it the hairy look. Sitting on a rock, it looks like a clump of algae and is easily overlooked.

They are very rare and don’t seem to have a scientific name yet. Also, they are something of a holy grail for divers.

Hairy Octopus from Eric Cheng

Here is a great video of one shot by Christian Loader in Lembeh Straits.